NEWS FLASH: Nats Sign Bret Boone to Minor League Deal

Yes, you read that right. Bret Boone, who has been out of baseball since 2006, was signed to a minor-league deal, which was announced today. He'll be in the Nationals' accelerated spring training camp (the same route Dmitri Young took to winning NL comeback players of the year honors) with no guarantee of making the big league roster.

Nats GM Jim Bowden on the signing: "We see it a no-lose situation."

Boone on the signing: "There's something still in there. Whether I can tap that remains to be seen.... When I walked away in 2006, physically, things were still there."

Boone brother, Aaron, signed with the Nationals this winter, and his father, Bob, is an assistant to Bowden in the Nats' front office.

More later, obviously...

UPDATE: Here are a few more quotes from Bret Boone and Jim Bowden about today's signing.

Boone on walking away from the game in Feb. 2006 while in the Mets' camp: "At that time I felt it wasn't fair to me to continue on, and it wasn't fair to the New York Mets to continue on. The physcial ability was all there, but my mind wasn't in a place where it would be fair to either party to continue on, and that's why I did what I did then. And I've gone through a lot of things, personally, in my life that have changed me in a lot of ways. And I'm a different person than two years ago. I've just changed my way of life a little bit. I've always been guy who likes to go out and have a good time, and maybe at times too good of a time. That stuff all catches up to you, and you have to look in mirror and find out where are you going in your life. I took care of some personal business and feel I can give this a 100 percent run and we'll see where this takes us. It should be very interesting, and probably the biggest challenge I've ever had. It's like I'm a rookie all over again, only I'm not 18 years old."

Boone on whether he would spend time in the minors, or learn another position in order to help his chances: "I haven't played another position. I plan on going out and playing second base and getting as many at-bats as I can over in accelerated [spring training camp]... I don't think we have a script or anything like that. It's going to play out, and we'll know either way. But I'm planning on playing second base and helping somebody. Obviously that's my goal. There's a lot of unknown out there, but it's kind of an exciting unknown."

Bowden on how Boone fits: "This wasn't a team that was looking for a second baseman. We're happy with what we have in Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez. That being said, I'm always a big believer in assets. That a really good thing when you're GM. I also know there are lot of teams that don't have a second baseman right now, so if all of a sudden I'm sitting there with three on Opening Day, I like that as a GM, when I'm trying to trade and rebuild an organization. On March 25, I'll have a good idea where he is talent-wise, or whether he fits with us or someone else."

And in other Nats news... John Patterson throwing his first official bullpen of the spring. We'll have another update, with some thoughts on Patterson's session, this afternoon.

before someone jumps on the team for bringing in more PED suspicious types i'd like to say that this is another move working on building up a strong foundation with an eye towards the teams overall culture. strong family ties and baseball. positive move. i don't have any problem with the boone's making a home here....

Bret Boone was a second baseman. Is he still a second baseman? I can't say I would care either way, here, except that I think that Boone would not be interested in playing in the minors, and a roster spot Boone takes is another the Rule 5 guys cannot have.

Dave- Good scoop on Boone. I went to Wikipedia to be sure Bret Boone was a second baseman, and someone who apparently reads this blog had already updated his page to reflect the signing.

I can't argue Bowden's emphasis on "assets," although getting someone during Spring Training with the hope of flipping him by the end of March sounds an awful lot like day trading. I certainly don't know what Boone would be worth, considering that he will turn 39 just after Opening Day.

In the meantime, though, let's just have fun with it. Oh, and Natty B- I liked the "boonedocks" comment.

I think it's more like, "what have we got to lose? Do the old man (and his dad) a favor and let him have one more spring in Florida. If he really can play, someone else might want him, and if not, or he gets hurt, we're not out anything."

doesn't mean he'd have to trade boone. he could also decide to swap someone else knowing he has boone as a backup as well. still, there could be a club somewhere desperate for a veteran IF backup and we might get some A league guy in return who could have some value down the road. i don't see a downside to this, since it's a minor league/non-roster deal.

... we already have a second baseman ... maybe two. If you must, give it a shot (no pun intended) and if you can be a better fielder than Flip or a better person than Ronnie B. good on ya. But don't hold your breath.

Dear Mr. Bowdon,

... Cincinnati is a few hundred miles that way. This is Washington, by way of Viera. It's time you stopped being geographically-challenged, and set down new roots.

It was infuriating enough that there was going to be one boone on the team, where it'd be impossible to let them know how i felt, what with boo being so prominent in his name. Are there any other options? "boone sucks, boone sucks"

It doesn't make a lot of sense that Bowden would try to trade Boone at the end of Spring Training. There just wouldn't be a market for a 39 year-old who hasn't been in the league for the past two years, steroid rumors aside.

So, if Boone ends up having a good camp, I think you start looking at the possibility he tries to deal Belliard.

As much as some folks would like it, you can't deal Lopez because you may need him to play SS if Guzman goes down again with an injury. There was already a market for Belly at the deadline last season, and his contract is super cheap.

Again, this is all predicated upon Boone having a good Spring Training. It's a minor league deal. Like Bowden said, it's a no-lose situation.

It's pretty obvious what's going on here. There's been a slight tweak on the margins of The Plan. For the past couple of years, the Nationals were trying to corner the market on Ryans. But that didn't seem to help, so they've shifted their focus to cornering the market on Boones. What does this really mean? Langerhans, watch your back. Zimmerman, though, you're probably okay.

Oh, and as for the stockpiling Jesus part of the plan? That's surely still underway. You can never have enough Jesus - or so Mike Huckabee tells me anyway.

I can only say that I am coming to trust Bowden's instincts more. It probably does no harm to have Boone playing with the kids in the accelerated camp. I hope we get regular updates about how he's playing.

BTW, does anyone have any sort of valid family tree on this group. I know the relationships between Bret/Aaron, Bob, and Ray (Ike). But, what is the relationship with Dan and the original Ike, who played in the 1920s? Is Pat really a cousin?

Exactly what was Daniel trying to do, repopulate all of what was then the west?

can i just say what is wrong with bowden signing players or managers or whatever from cincy? bowden knows them and is comfortable with them. to be honest i never knew boone was a red, i knew him best as a mariner. i think too much is being made of the cincy thing. you think the mets fans are going crazy because of the former nats/expos that dot their roster (chavez, church, schnieder, pedro, marlon anderson, moises alou, hell even tony armas jr got a non roster invite) its a small world, let the cincy thing go

Top marks in general for boone puns. Individual marks go to 1/2st for telling me what I really wanted to know (bret's age), twin city J for being unfortunately correct about Belliard, and to writer for the tap that comment. Oh and props to Dave as usual.

Of all the pitchers, what happened to the 2006 first round choice Colton Wilhelms (I think) - he was young, but is he even on the radar? Is he a bust? Plus, there was some former #1 guy from the Braves that Bowden got in a trade in 2006 and he was out all 2007, anyone recall his name? Is he still on the team? healthy?

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Hello, of course I came to visit your site and thanks for letting me know about it.
I just read this post and wanted to say it is full of number one resources. Some I am familiar with. For those who don't know these other sites they are in for a treat as there is a lot to learn there.

Hello, of course I came to visit your site and thanks for letting me know about it.
I just read this post and wanted to say it is full of number one resources. Some I am familiar with. For those who don't know these other sites they are in for a treat as there is a lot to learn there.